Randers will be looking to pick up their first victory of the Danish Superliga campaign when they welcome recently-promoted Hvidovre to Cepheus Park on Sunday afternoon.
The hosts commenced their 2023-24 season with a respectable draw at Odense last weekend, while Hvidovre narrowly lost to FC Midtjylland away from home.
Match preview
Following on from a sixth-placed finish in the Superliga last season, Randers kicked off the new campaign with an entertaining 2-2 draw against Odense at Nature Energy Park.
The always-impressive Stephen Odey netted the contest's first goal after just 10 minutes, before the hosts took the lead courtesy of goals from Rami Al Hajj and Mohamed Buya Turay, but a 95th-minute strike from Hugo Andersson forced a share of the spoils.
Rasmus Bertelsen's men now return to Cepheus Park on Sunday hoping to preserve their unbeaten record in the early stages of the term, and Randers will be looking to pose more of an attacking threat at home after managing only 16 goals in as many matches in the 2022-23 campaign in front of their own supporters.
The Horses have bolstered their defensive ranks over the summer with the arrival of William Kaastrup from champions Copenhagen - the 19-year-old left-back played 75 minutes of his side's draw last weekend at Odense.
There is a quiet optimism around the club that Randers can challenge for a European spot this term, following on from three successive sixth-placed finishes in the Superliga.
Hvidovre are back at the top table of Danish football after over a decade-long absence, but they were unable to celebrate their return to the Superliga with a victory last time out.
Last season's highest scorers in the second tier were kept out by a stubborn Midtjylland defence at the MCH Arena, and South Korean Cho Gue-sung scored early in the second half to secure a maximum for Thomas Thomasberg's charges.
A narrow defeat to a club who will play in the Europa Conference League next month will not dishearten the Hvidovre faithful in the slightest, as the Old Giants know their survival will not be determined by trips to the division's big hitters.
Per Frandsen - who managed Wigan Athletic for a year in the early 2000s - is at the reins of the Superliga newcomers, and the 53-year-old has never managed in the top flight of any European league before this season.
There have been two previous encounters between Randers and Hvidovre, although Sunday will be the first time the clubs have clashed in the Danish top flight - the Horses won both of the matches when the two sides plied their trades in the second tier.
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Team News
Randers have a pair of defenders who are doubts for this weekend's match at Cepheus Park, with Daniel Hoegh and Mikkel Kallesoe still recovering from their respective knocks.
A definite absentee for the hosts on Sunday will be midfielder Frederik Lauenborg - the 26-year-old suffered a cruciate ligament injury in February and is not expected back in action until October.
Marvin Egho provided the assist for Odey's opener at Odense last time out, meaning the Austrian should retain his place in the starting XI despite the presence of Armenian Edgar Babayan in the matchday squad.
Hvidovre have been unable to hand a debut to attacking midfielder Mathias Gehrt since his summer switch from Nykobing due to injury - the former Brondby man would be playing third-tier football if he had not made the move to the Old Giants.
Filip Djukic received plenty of plaudits for keeping Midtjylland at bay for the majority of the contest last time out, and the 23-year-old will keep his place in between the sticks as he aims to record his maiden clean sheet of the campaign.
Randers possible starting lineup:
Carlgren; Kopplin, Andersson, Dammers, Kaastrup; Kristensen, Enggard, Pedersen, Nordli; Odey, Egho
Hvidovre possible starting lineup:
Djukic; Iljazovski, Olsen, Stenderup, Nielsen; Gemmer, Spelmann, Qamili, Jakobsen, Lindberg; Geertsen
We say: Randers 2-1 Hvidovre
Randers started their 2023-24 campaign with a solid point at Odense last weekend, but the home faithful at Cepheus Park will be demanding a convincing maximum against recently-promoted Hvidovre.
The Old Giants rode their luck slightly to only concede once at Midtjylland last time out, and we believe Frandsen's men will suffer another away defeat on Sunday afternoon.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
